Tag Archives: Australian Stampin' Up! demonstrator

Country Flowers Gift Cards

Posted in Cards by

Welcome back. I have just a quick post for you today, to share some gift cards I have made to send out as thank you cards, both featuring the Country Flowers Stamp Set.

This first card also uses the Dies that go with this stamp set.
Both cards have been coloured using Stampin’ Blends.

For the second card I have stamped and coloured directly onto the Country Woods Designer Series Paper.

Don’t forget that for the rest of June, you can buy this gorgeous Bundle, and all Bundles, at an extra 10% off the already discounted price. Head on over to my online store to make the most of it while they are still reduced.
Happy stamping!
Chris

Just Add Ink Sketch Challenge

Posted in Cards, Masculine by

Hi and welcome back.
For those who have been following along with my blog posts for a while, you will know just how much I enjoy taking part in challenges, and I do particularly enjoy a Sketch challenge.
So I decided to use the current Just Add Ink challenge to inspire my card today. Here is the sketch:

My card features the mushroom image from the Inspirational Sketches stamp set.
I was a little sad when the new Catalogue first came out, I thought that this gorgeous stamp set had retired, but you will find it sneaks in with some images on pages 110 and 111.
I am very glad it’s a current stamp set, it’s a lot of fun to use.

I have used some Grey Granite cardstock as my base, and the background layer has been embossed with the Timber Embossing Folder, and then I have run the Grey Granite ink pad over it to highlight the embossed parts.
I have taken one of the large die cut circles from the Spotlight on Nature Dies, cut it in half, and then stamped the image in Grey Granite.
The red mushrooms were stamped in Black Memento ink, which I stamped off on scrap paper before stamping onto the cardstock, just to make the outline a little lighter. The image as been coloured with Stampin’ Blends in Crumb Cake for the stems, Ivory for the underneath of the mushroom caps, and Dark and Light Real Red.
And yes, the image was fussy cut (I love fussy cutting!).
The white dots….. there are several ways to achieve the white dots on the mushroom caps, which do make them look more realistic. If you have White Craft Ink, you can use a stylus, dip that into the ink on the ink pad, and dab it onto the image. You may have to do this several times to give a good coverage.
Alternatively, you can use a white gel pen or similar and that is much easier to do.
Did you know that Stampin’ Up! used to sell these? I’m talking way, way, way long ago in the deep dark past, not long after I first joined as a demonstrator. And believe it or not, I still had one that I bought from Stampin’ Up!. It doesn’t work any more, not surprising, since they do dry out after a while.
Perhaps it’s time to do a very big clean out.

Happy stamping!
Chris

Product List
Inspirational Sketches Cling Stamp Set (English)
[162684]
Spotlight On Nature Dies
[163580]
Timber 3 D Embossing Folder
[163094]
Gray Granite Classic Stampin' Pad
[147118]
Real Red Stampin' Blends Combo Pack
[154899]

Links by TheseAreMyStamps.com

CASE = Copy And Selectively Edit

Posted in Cards, Flowers by

Welcome back to all of my crafty friends. We had our first frost of the winter this morning, and even though the sun is out, the next door neighbour’s roof is still glistening in the sunlight.
I am so grateful for the lovely fire that is keeping me warm and cosy.


When I first joined as a Stampin’ Up! Demonstrator in 2008, I had done very little stamping or cardmaking, and my wonderful mentor, Larissa, told me to find cards I liked online, and copy them as best I could, with the items I had available. At that stage, I didn’t have much in the way of a papercrafting stash (oh my, how things have changed!), so I had to be inventive and creative, look at the card I was copying, and change it to suit what I had available.
That process is what we now term CASE-ing, (CASE = Copy and Selectively Edit) and I will be forever grateful for Larissa’s advice to do this, it started me out on this journey, and to me, this is still a fun way to get really creative but also a great way to find inspiration, especially when your Mojo has gone out the window! It is important though to make sure we credit whoever made the original card.
And so, onto my card today, and yes, it does once again feature the Stippled Roses stamp set and matching Dies. I may be a little obsessed with this stamp set.

The card that I have CASE-d is the one that goes across the spine on pages 122/123 of the Annual Catalogue. I loved the look of that card but wanted to add the gorgeous roses.
The roses have been stamped in Pecan Pie ink, and then coloured (of course! it wouldn’t be me without a little colouring) using Peach Pie ink and a Blender Pen, very gently dabbing the colour onto the shaded areas.
In the background, the leaves in Old Olive and Basic Beige are also from the Stippled Roses Dies, the Designer Series Paper is my new favourite, Country Woods DSP, the circle is cut from the Spotlight On Nature Dies, and the sentiment comes from the Stamped With Love set. Then to finish off I’ve added a few of the Peach Pie Shimmer Gems from the 2024-2026 In Color Shimmer Gems.

Make the most of the fantastic 10% discount on stamp set and die bundles through until the end of June. Bundles are already cheaper than buying the stamps and dies separately, so now you get that discount plus another 10% off. Great deal. You can shop online here.

Hoping you have a crafty day.
Happy stamping!
Chris

Product List
Stippled Roses Cling Stamp Set (English)
[162657]
Stippled Roses Dies
[162666]
Country Woods 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper
[163393]
Spotlight On Nature Dies
[163580]
Stamped With Love Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)
[161395]

Links by TheseAreMyStamps.com

Inspired By A Song

Posted in Cards by

The Beatles Song “And Your Bird Can Sing” is the inspiration for my Design Team project for Craftin’ Round The World Challenges today, and I had so much fun creating this card.

I have used the new Basic Beige cardstock for the card base and also the next layer, which has been stamped tone on tone with Basic Beige ink and the Stippled Roses stamp set.
I have taken a piece of old sheet music – I’ve been a musician since I was very young, so there’s plenty of it lying around – and I have scrunched it up before sponging some Crumb Cake ink around the edges and on the raised areas.

I’ve used some of the Country Woods Designer Series Paper and the Country Birdhouse Dies to create the bird house. For those cute little birds I have used the reverse image technique, of stamping the image from the Country Birdhouse bundle onto a Silicone Craft Sheet in Memento Black ink, and then pressing a piece of white cardstock over the image, which in effect, reverses the image when it goes onto the cardstock. Perhaps this is a good time for me to get back into doing Facebook Live and YouTube videos to demonstrate that one.

If you are on Facebook (or even if you are not), come and share your projects with us at Craftin’ Round the World Challenges, we love to see what you have been creating.

And don’t forget that the Country Birdhouse Bundle, and all the Bundles are an extra 10% off the already discounted price until the end of June, and you can find them in my online store.
Happy stamping!
Chris

Product List
Country Birdhouse Bundle (English)
[163401]
Country Woods 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper
[163393]
Silicone Craft Sheet
[127853]
Basic Beige A4 Cardstock
[164512]
Basic Beige Classic Stampin Pad
[163806]

Links by TheseAreMyStamps.com

Colour Challenge

Posted in Cards by

I do love a card challenge. I’ve been on many Design Teams over the years of papercrafting, and still am now, and I love using different challenges to give me a way to challenge myself and create something different. I guess that’s why they are called a challenge, right?
I have three cards to share with you today, all of them made with the same set of colours which are the current Global Design Project Challenge (#GDP449). The colours are Peach Pie, Shy Shamrock and Petunia Pop, all from the new In Color range (2024-2026). They are all gorgeous colours, but not ones I would normally put together.
To add to the challenge, I created three different style of cards, and I’ll explain why shortly.
Here’s the first card.

I was recently listening to a recorded interview between two of our wonderful Australian Stampin’ Up! Demonstrators, Kylie Bertucci and Maheswari Rajaguru, and part of the discussion was around what style of papercrafter they were. That discussion has given me a lot to think about, and so I used this challenge to play with some different styles.
This first card is not one that I like very much, not one that I am at all happy with. However I wanted to use the rather neglected Planted Paradise stamp set in a different way along with using the challenge colours. I don’t think the card showcases my style, however I am sure the person who I send it to in the mail will enjoy receiving it.

The second card is more like my style….

This card features the Magnolia Mood bundle (don’t forget Bundles are currently on sale!). The Magnolia has been stamped onto watercolour paper and then coloured with inks and water painter. I love colouring, whether that’s with Blends (alcohol markers), pencils or ink, or a combination, I love the process of colouring. And so that is a large part of my style. I also love nature, plants, flowers, birds, butterflies, animals, and these are things that I am more drawn to than anything else.

Card number three also features some colouring:

This card is probably the most indicative of my style of papercrafting, colouring plus lots of layers, texture and interest, such as paper tearing, distressing and sponging. The card features the Inspirational Sketches Stamp set, Perennial Lavender Designer Series Paper, and leaves from the Stippled Roses Dies. While I have used the colours from the challenge, I have also used a lot of Crumb Cake to soften the colour combination.
So what would you call my style of crafting? Vintage with a touch of modern. ?? What are your thoughts? Which is your favourite card?

In the end, I feel that one of the things I really do enjoy doing, is creating cards in different styles, sometimes it feels good to make a Clean and Simple card, other times I love to put the time into creating a vintage style card that might take me days to put together.

Thanks for hanging around, as you can tell, there has been a lot of thought and introspection in recent times, and not just about crafting.
I hope you are having a crafty weekend.
Happy stamping!
Chris
PS Don’t for to make the most of the extra 10% discount of Bundles for the rest of May. Browse through my online store here.

CASE-ing the Catty – Case a Bundle

Posted in Cards, Flowers by

Hi. If this is your first time visiting, welcome to my crafting blog.

I am honoured to have been asked to do a Guest Design spot with the CASE-ing the Catty crew this week, and we are taking our inspiration from the Bundles on Pages 57 – 73 of the Annual Catalogue.

I have chosen the Happy Birthday card in the centre of Page 60 (see below) as my inspiration.

I have used the layout of the card but changed nearly all of the various aspects. My card features the Thoughtful Expressions stamp set along with some Country Woods Designer Series Paper – a new favourite of mine.

The stamped images have been inked with Memento Black ink, and then coloured with Stampin’ Blends initially to create base colours. The hummingbird was coloured with Bronze, Crumb Cake and Pool Party Stampin’ Blends, with just a touch of Blueberry Bushel. The flowers and leaves with Old Olive, Flirty Flamingo, Poppy Parade and Daffodil Delight.

After the Stampin’ Blends I have coloured over the top with Stampin’ Up! Watercolour Pencils to increase the intensity and vibrancy of colour.

Next up on the Blog Hop is Rebecca.

You can find our challenge on Facebook, come and join in the fun, we love to see what you have been creating.

Thanks for joining me today, and I hope you enjoy the inspiration from all the blog hoppers.
Happy stamping!
Chris

Product List
Thoughtful Expressions Cling Stamp Set (English)
$44.00
Country Woods 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper
$21.75
Bronze Stampin' Blends Marker
$7.75
Pool Party Stampin' Blends Combo Pack
$19.25
Watercolor Pencils Assortment 1
$32.00

Links by TheseAreMyStamps.com

Three Reasons I love Stampin’ Up! Kits

Posted in Stampin' Up! Kits by

This week has seen the release of two new and gorgeous Kits in the Stampin’ Up! kit range, and I wanted to share my thoughts on the kits and why I think they are fantastic. I will also share some images of the new kits (I don’t have mine yet – working on it), and links so that you can get your own and also search through the different kits available.

Three Reasons I LOVE Stampin’ Up! Kits.
1. Everything is included in the kit, including adhesives.
Some of the kits include a stamp set, others don’t but if there is stamping to be done, there will be a mini ink pad and a clear block to mount your stamps onto. Like I said, absolutely everything is included, which means if you are going on holidays, want to craft on the train on the way to work, have a very small space, all you need to do is open up your kit and it’s all in there for you to get crafting and make something gorgeous.

2. There are soooooo many to choose from.
New kits are being launched every second month, some are cardmaking kits, some are journaling kits, some are home decor, there is literally something to suit everyone. What’s more, you don’t have to make what the kit is designed for if you don’t want to, just get creative.

3. They are perfect for every level of crafter.
Every kit includes clear step by step instructions so if you have never done any papercrafting or stamping before, just follow the written instructions. Many also have video links so that you can watch the items being made. And if you are an avid crafter like I am, the fun of working with a kit is not just being able to make a quick project without any preparation, but also being able to come up with some creative alternatives.

So back to the new kits that have just been released.
The first is the Expressions of Kindness Kit which is a cardmaking kit (although I can see myself making a scrapbook layout from that one) which includes a stamp set and is $41 (Australian) before shipping. That’s 8 beautiful cards and then you have the stamp set, ink pad and block to use on other projects.
I think this has to be one of my all time favourites, it is just beautiful.
Here’s a link to watch the video.

The other new kit is the Scenic Route Travel Journal kit, another one that I am keen to get, however I suspect I will be using it for purposes other than travel at this point in time.

This kit has a heap of stickers and die cuts that you just pop out and adhere to the page.
Again, here is the video.
So much fun!
So if you would like to see the entire collection of the Stampin’ Up! kits, and there are a lot to browse through, you can find them here.

And just a quick mention of the amazing discount happening through until the end of June – 10% off Bundles, so that’s any Stamp set and Die bundle, from both the catalogue and online exclusive range. Bundles are already discounted so, that’s an extra 10% off.
AND our brilliant machines are also 10% off, that’s the full size Stampin’ Cut and Emboss machine, the Mini Stampin’ Cut and Emboss machine, and also the special Boho Blue coloured Limited Edition Mini machine. I have both the full size and the Boho Blue mini (very cute!) and love them both.

That’s enough from me for today. No projects to share (although I am in the middle of some) but I will be back tomorrow with something creative.
Happy stamping!
Chris

Craftin’ Round The World Challenge

Posted in Cards, Flowers by

Good morning and if this is your first time visiting, welcome to my crafting blog.

I was honoured to be asked to become a Design Team member for the Craftin’ Round the World Challenges. This is a monthly challenge held on Facebook, where there are two different themes to choose from, which you can combine, or choose one at a time. And for my card today, I have chosen the Monochromatic Theme.

My card uses heaps of the Stampin’ Up! green colours including Soft Sea Foam, Mossy Meadow, Old Olive, Granny Apple Green, and Lemon Lime Twist.
The beautiful Magnolia image has been stamped in Soft Sea Foam on basic white cardstock before being die cut using the matching dies. And the leaves come from the Magnolia Mood Dies and the Stippled Roses Dies.

If you would like to join our challenge you can find us here in the closed Facebook group, where you are very welcome to share your own projects.

Happy stamping,
Chris

Product List
Magnolia Mood Bundle (English)
[163507]
$96.25
Stippled Roses Dies
[162666]
$58.00
Soft Sea Foam A4 Cardstock
[147012]
$20.25
Soft Sea Foam Classic Stampin' Pad
[147102]
$15.75
Mossy Meadow A4 Cardstock
[133683]
$20.25

Links by TheseAreMyStamps.com

Card Sketch Ideas

Posted in Cards by

Hello and welcome back.
Did you know that on Page 22 of the Annual Catalogue, at the bottom of the page, there are 22 sketch ideas for making cards?
I have used one of these sketches for my inspiration today, the sketch on the top row, 5th along from the right hand side, and I have used this to create a clean and simple masculine card.

My card features the bird from the Inspirational Sketches stamp set. The image has been stamped with Black Memento ink onto Crumb Cake cardstock, and then coloured with watercolour pencils in Basic Black, Basic White and Early Espresso.
I also created a reel on my Facebook page, showing how I coloured the image, which you can find here.
While you are on my Facebook page, make sure you follow me so that you can get updates when I post there, which is generally more often than I do here, at least at the moment.
I have then modified the sketch a little, extended the panel with the main image and added a layer behind it, to create a different look altogether.

I hope you are enjoying a crafty Sunday wherever you might be.
It’s a chilly day here, the start of winter, and we have the fire going, so I will be enjoying staying warm in front of the fire today, and perhaps creating something different.
Happy stamping!
Chris

Product List
Inspirational Sketches Cling Stamp Set (English)
$44.00
Tuxedo Black Memento Ink Pad
$14.00
Watercolor Pencils Assortment 1
$32.00
Crumb Cake A4 Card Stock
$20.25
Early Espresso A4 Card Stock
$20.25

Links by TheseAreMyStamps.com

Stampin’ Up! Stippled Roses

Posted in Cards, Flowers by

I love the Stampin’ Up! Stippled Roses stamp set soooo much, as you will see soon, since I have been using it a lot recently (although I haven’t shared enough here). And today I create this card which I coloured with the Stampin’ Up! watercolour pencils.

The rose image was stamped with Memento Black ink, and then I have started shading using a Basic Black pencil, which I used to go over the already darker areas of the stamped image, just to intensify the shadowed area. For the leaves, I have then come over the black with a Garden Green pencil, followed by a little Granny Apple Green to give them some lighter highlights.
The roses were coloured in the same way, Basic Black pencil over the shadowed areas, followed by Pumpkin Pie and then Daffodil Delight.
The leaves are from the Stippled Roses matching dies, using Basic Grey cardstock. In the background you will see some of the new Country Woods Designer Series Paper which is an absolute favourite from the new catalogue.
I just loved colouring the roses for this card, it’s very relaxing and I am happy with how this one turned out.
Hope you are having a crafty day or evening depending on where you are.
Happy stamping,
Chris

Product List
Stippled Roses Bundle (English)
$94.50
Country Woods 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Designer Series Paper
$21.75
Watercolor Pencils
$28.00
Watercolor Pencils Assortment 1
$32.00
Basic Gray A4 Card Stock
$20.25

Links by TheseAreMyStamps.com

There is an AMAZING deal going right now, check out the image below, and if you have ever thought about join Stampin’ Up! as a demonstrator, even if it’s just for the discount on products, now is a great time to do it. Send me a message if you live in Australia and would like to know more.